Aunt Bee is depressed
when a lady her age passes away. She buys an elixir, or tonic, from a traveling
salesman, but unfortunately, she and the Ladies Aid Church Committee become “tiddly.”
Andy must help Aunt Bee see the truth about this handsome, charming stranger.

Discussion:1) What was your initial opinion of Colonel Harvey? What did
you think as you listened to him more? What did Aunt Bee think of him?
Opie? Andy? Did Colonel Harvey use the same deceptive techniques
with Aunt Bee and Opie? Why? Why didn’t those tactics work with Andy? Harvey
said about Andy, “None so blind as those who will not see,” but wasn’t Andy the
only one who really saw what was happening? Can you explain what “spiritual
blindness” means to you?

2) How did Aunt Bee and the
other ladies feel when they realized what had happened? Should we be wary of
all flattery and all charming people? What areas in your own life are
susceptible to deception? What can you do to guard against it? Is there
anything in your life that resembles Colonel Harvey’s ways? Did you think Andy
was overly cruel or rude to Colonel Harvey? Why didn’t he immediately run him
out of town? Did Colonel Harvey think he was doing anything wrong, and why? Do
you believe he was wrong?

3) Would Aunt Bee have been
quite as vulnerable if Augusta Finch had not recently passed away? Why was Aunt
Bee so troubled, since they weren’t that close? Why did Aunt Bee resist going
to Doc Andrews? Was she afraid of aging? In your opinion, was she afraid to
die? Why did meeting Colonel Harvey rank right up there with her baptism?
As a Christian, does all this make sense to you? Isn’t Jesus the real
“miracle cure”? Do you sometimes face problems like Aunt Bee and go for the
“quick solution”? Why don’t we take a good long, hard look at ourselves and
search for the areas of our life that need more attention? Read 2 Timothy,
Chapter 2 and decide, as a close friend, what you would say to Aunt Bee.

Final Thought:Colonel Harvey: My mission in life is health, is zest, is vigor, is
the joy of living. Now, what I offer you, my friends, is no medicine. It is
far more than that! It is a tonic, an elixir -- to purge the body and lift the
spirits, to put a light in the eye and a spring in the step, a lilt in the voice
and hope in the human heart!
(For musical insight, go to
www.oldlandmarks.com/hystrang.htm for “Poor Wayfaring Stranger”.)